The Little Ones
by Lilliana Greenleaf
Summary: I'm gonna rip your hearts out with this one. The power of loyalty will tear you apart. She is a kitten in a world of Dragons. A Da'len in a world of Giants. But, as is her namesake, she will bring the end, and she will learn the true meaning of tragedy. Never ignore the little ones, for they will be your downfall.
1. The Ice

Her name literally meant "give the end."

Lasa Halam was a sweet girl. At least, she thought she was. She didn't really remember. She just knew, when she woke up to footsteps outside the door, what door? Why was it up? She just knew that she was a kind girl. She knew that, and she knew her name, but she didn't know much else.

The stone floor beneath her was cold, but she wasn't shivering. It was as if she had been cold for a very long time, and her body had given up on being warm. It was dark, and even with her eyes open, she couldn't see anything. She couldn't move, either. She couldn't even breathe. It was as if she were frozen in time. The reality was similar, but it wasn't time that she was frozen in.

It was ice.

That was why the door was up. She realized that she was frozen in ice, and she was under the floor. She tried to call out, but she couldn't. Her body was not her own. For the moment, it belonged to the ice. She was so cold.

She saw a light, gentle, soft, and warm, glowing above her. There were voices, but she could only hear indistinct murmurs. She wanted their attention. She wanted to warn them about something, but what? What was wrong? Why was she so afraid for them? Then she heard a voice, clear as crystal, seemingly unreal, like it was inside her head.

"She says not to go that way."

There were confused murmurs above her. Then a surprised shout. Lasa was so cold. She heard the voice again. "She's cold. Help her, I can't reach her."

Then there was warmth. The light grew closer and began to melt the ice. After a few minutes, she could breathe. Better yet, she could see.

She had forgotten the voice.

A woman stood over her, concern evident on her pretty face. She held a torch in her hand. She had eyes like amethysts, skin like ivory, and hair bright and golden as the noontime sun. She was an elf, and little black vines extended from beneath her eyes back to her hair. She was beautiful. Lasa didn't remember beautiful, but that was the word that came to mind.

"You're alive!" Her voice was like a gentle creek in winter: something alive in the silence, a force of nature in itself, but not above the little bits of life that lives near it. Lasa opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was "cold..." She reached toward the torch, drawn by the fire.

"Impossible..." A new voice, a man's voice, gentle as a summer breeze and powerful as a mountain, rang throughout the small stone room. "Frozen for who knows how long, yet still alive." The man came into view. He was an elf, bald, but he was handsome all the same. His eyes were gentle, but they were hiding something. The word that came to mind was mysterious.

"Solas, quit worrying about how she survived and focus on how she's going to stay that way. We have to get her back to Haven, now." The woman's voice was firm, but still gentle. The man, Solas, knelt down beside Lasa. "What is your name, Da'len?" Why was he calling her a child? She was not little. Was she? "Lasa Halam," she answered weakly. Her own voice sounded lost, like a ghost, the ghost of a mother with no one to care for, the ghost of a soldier with no battle to fight, the ghost of a child with no one to play with. Lost.

"My name is Enasal," the elven woman said gently. "This is Solas," she motioned to the elf man, "this is Varric," she motioned to a dwarf watching from a few feet away. He gave a little wave. Lasa twitched her fingers in an attempt to wave back. Then Enasal motioned to a very large Qunari standing behind them. "That is Iron Bull."

Lasa sneezed. It was high-pitched and quiet, but it made her feel better. Varric laughed a bit and commented, "we come here to find a wyvern and we find a kitten instead." He walked over hand held out his hand to her. "Come on, kitten, let's get you someplace warm." Lasa liked him. He was warm, comforting, open. He was hiding things too, but everyone was.

Lasa slowly lifted her hand, but it trembled and dropped before she could touch his hand. She was a bit surprised at how weak she was. Enasal put a hand on her arm. "She's very cold. Let's go, the wyvern can wait." Lasa knew what a wyvern was, and for some reason, she was angry. It scared her, to be angry and not know why.

The Iron Bull walked over. "I'll carry her." He knelt down and picked up Lasa. She felt so tiny and insignificant in his arms, but she also felt safe. That was what the Bull felt like. Safe. He was safe and Varric was comforting and Solas was mysterious and Enasal was beautiful. Now that she had established this, Lasa was happy to drift off to sleep. She was still cold.


	2. The Stars are Happy

Lasa woke to soft voices just out of earshot. One of them was Enasal, and the other she didn't recognize. She opened her eyes to a wooden roof. The bed underneath her was soft, like sleeping in hay. Lasa had no memories of sleeping in hay, she had no memories of anything, but she knew what hay felt like. She sat up slowly. She was still cold, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before. This cold felt normal.

The blankets slid off her body. She wore a forest green shirt, long sleeved, that hung on her body loosely. It was too big for her. She was too skinny. No, she wasn't skinny, she had the thin body of all the elves, it was just that the shirt was made for a human. Her pants were brown and soft. She knew these weren't her own clothes, but she didn't know where hers were, or what they looked like.

"You're awake." Enasal looked over at her. The man beside her looked pleased. "I told you I'd bring her through." He must have been the doctor. Enasal looked pleased, then brought Lasa some hot stew. Lasa let the other elf feed her. The stew felt nice going down, and it made her tummy feel warm.

Lasa noticed that Enasal's left hand was glowing green. "What's that?" Enasal set the bowl down. "My hand? Oh, that's the mark from the breach." She told Lasa about all that had happened. They had sealed the giant rift a few months back. The inquisition was still debating on whether to recruit the mages or the templars. "I'm a rogue myself," Enasal smiled a bit, "but I favour the mages."

Lasa was very confused about the state of the world of Thedas, so Enasal spent all afternoon explaining it to her. To Lasa, it was a fascinating world, but she felt sad, for some reason. She didn't know why.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Enasal called out. A big man with a split beard entered the cabin. "Oh, you're awake." Lasa tilted her head. Enasal intorduced the man as Blackwall. Lasa came up with the word careful.

"My lady, we'll head for Redcliffe in the morning." Blackwall addressed Enasal. She nodded and thanked him. He left.

"You have power here." Lasa stated once he had closed the door. Enasal shrugged. "Yes. Some believe I'm the Herald of Andraste." Lasa crossed her legs and leaned forward. "What do you think?" Enasal sighed. Lasa saw then how heavy her burden was. "I don't know what to believe." Lasa felt the strong urge to help her. Enasal smiled a bit at her, attempting to hide her burden. "All of these people depend on me. What if I let them down? I have no idea how to seal the breach." Lasa hugged her suddenly. Enasal seemed a it surprised, but gently hugged back. Lasa said "I'll help you." Enasal laughed softly, almost bitterly. "How? I don't think anyone can help me now." Lasa moved away. "I'll just have to keep you safe."

She felt like something was binding her to Enasal. She didn't dislike it, either.

"Can you fight?" Enasal asked. Lasa shrugged. "I don't know. I don't remember anything from before. All I remember was you finding me." She shivered at the memory of the cold. Enasal smiled and said, "let's go see Cullen. If you can't, he'll teach you." Lasa stood. Her feet were cold. Enasal gave her some clothes. They were black, and shimmered, as if made of shadow, along with some boots. "Here, these are yours. We found you in them and had them mended." "Thank you," Lasa put them on. They were warm.

They went out into the world. It was cold, and snowy, but it wasn't as cold as the ice. Lasa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The air was nice and clear, moving easily through her lungs. Enasal lead the way down through the gates to a training yard where many soldiers were training. A blond man with ridiculous shoulder feathers stood shouting orders and tips at the soldiers. Enasal tapped his shoulder. "Commander?" Cullen turned to face her. "Ah, Herald, there you are." His eyes met Lasa's. "I see she's awake." He cleared his throat. "What can I do for you?"

Enasal looked excited. "Lasa doesn't remember anything, so I need you to tell me if she can fight at all. If not, would you train her? I don't want to subject her to Cassandra." The Commander nodded with a bit of a smile. "Come here, Lasa. Let's see if you know how to hold a sword." They went to an area clear of other soldiers. The Commander handed Lasa a training sword, blunted at the edge. She frowned a bit. "Too heavy." It felt awkward to hold it, as if she were used to holding something much smaller. The Commander observed closely. "You've got a good grip. Perhaps you'd do better with daggers?" Enasal handed him some, standing off to the side.

Those were much easier to hold. It was a familiar feeling. She nodded, "this is better." The Commander held his own training sword. "Alright then, let's see what you can do. Your muscles suggest that you've fought before, but I'm not sure how good you are at it. Attack me." Lasa took a moment to size him up. She didn't know how, but she knew what she was doing. Her body remembered things that her mind did not, and soon enough, the Commander had a blade to his neck. He seemed a bit surprised. "Well done."

They practiced until the sun went down. As it turns out, Lasa was an elite fighter, and was indeed classified as a rogue. She had been very careful not to hurt the Commander, and that seemed to surprise him more than anything else. "Precision and control," he said, "my soldiers could learn a thing or two from you." Lasa glowed at the praise.

For Cullen, she came up with the word selfless.

Enasal pulled her away when the stars came out. "Come on, Lasa, let's go into the woods." The two, only having known each other for one day, had a sort of trust that was hard to find: an instinctive trust. It was a new feeling to Lasa, and she liked it. She set out with the two highland dirks that had been provided for her.

There was something beautiful about racing through the woods in the dark. Enasal was Dalish, so she had grown up doing this. She knew how to move with the land. Lasa felt like she was a part of it.

They hunted for hours, mainly nugs and the occasional ram. "We can use the meat to feed the army," Enasal had said. Lasa like the idea of helping people.

The moon had gone down when they stopped for a break on a snowy cliffside. The stars shone brightly in the night sky, like a billion little fireflies. Lasa reached out to them. She wanted to hold one. She knew they were too far away, but maybe if she reached high enough...

"Silly, you can't touch them. Besides, they're happy up there." Enasal sat down in the snow. Lasa sat beside her, agreeing. The stars were happy. That was good.

"There you are, Cassandra's just about turned herself inside out looking for you." Varric came trudging through the snow towards them. Enasal smiled, "don't tell her where we are just yet." Varric chuckled and sat down next to her. "So how's the little lost kitten doing?" Enasal laughed, a bright, sweet sound. "The kitten has claws, Varric. She kicked the Commander's arse." Varric grinned. "You serious? Way to go!" Lasa smiled gleefully.

They stayed there for a few minutes, staring up at the stars in silence, before Lasa caught sight of the breach. "It sings," she said quietly, watching it glow. It had a sickly glow in the night. "It sings an angry song." Varric and Enasal looked at each other, then shrugged. Varric stood and brushed the snow off of himself. "Alright, let's go. I'll help you carry back your prey."

Haven was dark, except for the tavern. They dropped off the kill, then headed towards it. Music flowed from it, along with the sound of laughing and drunken men. It was a pleasant sound. Varric held the door for them.

Lasa had no memory of a tavern, but she knew she had been in one before. She felt like she belonged near the wall, out of the center of attention, but it was pleasant to watched the men unravel. She, Varric, and Enasal sat at a table near the corner. A woman came up to them and asked them if they wanted something to drink. Varric addressed her as Flissa and ordered three pints of ale.

The ale burned going down, making Lasa wrinkle her nose, but it made her chest feel warm. She liked that. She was so tired of being cold. After her third pint, an elven woman came up to them. Enasal introduced her as Sera. After a few minutes of listening to her ridiculousness, Lasa came up with the word playful.

Lasa enjoyed the company of her new friends. She remembered something that Blackwall had said. "Enasal, can I go with you to Redcliffe?" Enasal, who was reasonably drunk, nodded. "Of course!" Varric commented that it would be fun.

Lasa headed back to her cabin by herself that night. The stars still glittered. They were happy, she reminded herself, and now, she was happy too.

Little did she know that it wouldn't last. Little did she know that it never had.


	3. A Sunburn

Lasa discovered that she was not a morning person. Varric had woken her up as gently as he could, but her cranky glare made him step back. He laughed a bit. "Come on, kitten, you want to go to Redcliffe, don't you?" Lasa nodded and sat up, rubbing her eyes. The sun hadn't come up yet, and she had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

"Your bedhead is atrocious." Varric made her it in a chair in front of a mirror and began to brush out her hair, as if he had done it many times before. Lasa took the time to look at herself in the mirror, since she had no idea what she looked like. Her hair was the colour of onyx in the moonlight, and reached down to her waist. Varric began to braid it once all the tangles were out.

Her eyes were sapphire blue, big and round, like a child wondering at the world. Her lips were thin and pink, her skin was pale, as if she hadn't seen the sun for a very long time, which she assumed she hadn't. Who knew how long she had been frozen? She had a light smatter of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her hands were delicate, typical of an elf. She seemed to be fully grown, probably her late twenties. She was cute. When Varric finished brushing her hair, she rubbed some lotion on her hands. It seemed to be a habit of hers, though she had no memory of it. Maybe that was why they were soft, even with obvious combat experience.

"There you go, kitten, you're all ready. Put on your boots and we'll go to the stables." He was gentle with her, as if she really were a kitten. Comforting. The word still fit. She put on her boots and followed him out, nibbling on a bit of bread he had brought her. It wasn't fresh, but her stomach didn't let her complain.

They reached the stables. "Master Dennet," Varric greeted. Enasal, Solas, and Iron Bull were already there. Enasal smiled warmly, "good morning." Lasa returned her greeting.

The stable master gave them horses. Lasa found herself face to face with a large Ferelden Forder. He was massive, towering over Lasa, but he seemed to be gentle, because he gently nudged her with his nose. "So gentle for a warhorse," she murmured and fed him the sugar cube she had been given. After watching the others to figure out how, she hopped up onto the horse. It was a new feeling to her, but she got the hang of it quickly. They headed out down the mountains to the Hinterlands.

The ride took most of the day. They stopped for lunch when the sun was high overhead. Lasa hopped off of her horse. Her hips were a bit sore from the effort. She sat down on a rock and looked up at the sky.

"Da'len, you have a sunburn." Solas sat beside her. She tilted her head. "A sunburn?" He offered her a bit of cheese and some bread, which she gladly accepted. "Yes, a sunburn. your face is very red." Now that she thought about it, her cheeks did sting a bit.

"She must be a night-dweller," Enasal sat on her other side. "The Dalish have elves that are more comfortable at night; they're usually used as guards or hunters. They don't like the sun, and usually avoid it, so they burn easily. I apologize, Lasa, I didn't know." Lasa shook her head, "there's nothing to apologize for. I'll just come with you at night." Varric sat across from them, beside Iron Bull. He said, "Why not just get something to cover her head so it doesn't burn, like a hat?" Solas nodded, "that's a good idea."

For the time being, they put a cowl on Lasa. She felt much better with it on, she didn't feel so hot and her face didn't sting as much. They finished lunch and got ready to move on. However, without a stepping block, Lasa was too short to get on her horse. She didn't want to say anything, so she looked around for a rock tall enough for her to step on. She began to get anxious. She tried again to clammer up onto her horse, to no avail.

She heard a deep laugh behind her and turned to see Iron Bull. "Do you need some help?" Lasa nodded sheepishly. He lifted her up by her waist, as if she were light as a feather, and set her on her horse. "There you go." "Thank you," she smiled at him. He nodded and got on his own horse, which was much bigger than the others.

They rode to Redcliffe. It was early evening when they arrived. There was a rift outside the gates. Lasa had never seen one up close, but the demons pouring out of it meant it was dangerous. She helped fight them off, then watched in awe as Enasal closed it. "That was amazing!" She fawned. Enasal smiled, "thanks, but it's nothing really." They continued into town.

Even though he didn't have to, Iron Bull helped Lasa down from his horse. He helped Enasal, too. Varric grinned and asked teasingly, "can I be a princess too?" Iron Bull laughed, a deep, booming sound, and ungraciously hoisted Varric off his horse and set him on the ground. Seeing this, Solas chuckled and said, "I can do it myself, thank you."

They headed to the local tavern, the Gull and Lantern. Enasal went first, the others followed.

Fiona didn't remember inviting them. Lasa was confused. She hadn't been there, but she had been told about the invitation from the Grand Enchantress, so she was sure that they had. She didn't say anything, however.

The conversation was a confusing one. It seemed that everything was something else, to Lasa anyway. They pledged allegiance to some man, and Varric told them it had been the worst idea they could have had. Then a man, a magister, walked in with his son behind him. Lasa watched Enasal talk with him, then she watched the son collapse. She saw the slip of paper pass between them, but she didn't say anything.

Once they had left, Enasal read the note aloud. "You are in danger. Come to the Chantry." Lasa peered over her shoulder, standing on her toes, since she was slightly shorter. "The Chantry? The big building on the hill?" Enasal nodded. They left the tavern and went in that direction.

They entered the Chantry to see a well-dressed man with an amazing mustache fighting off demons that poured from another rift. "Ah, you're finally here! Took you long enough! Lend me a hand, will you?" They killed the demons and closed the rift. Lasa stood off to the side to observe the conversation.

The man, Dorian, was a fabulous Tevintir mage. He warned Enasal about the danger of the Venatori. Lasa listened intently, then turned her head when the son of the magister, Felix, hurried in. Lasa stopped paying attention to the conversation. She wandered around the Chantry, looking at all of the statues and books and candles. She held her hand over one, just close enough to feel it's warmth. She smiled a bit.

She looked down at an old book. She liked the way old books smell. She flipped it's pages gently, wary of tearing them. She skimmed the words. Then she heard Enasal call out to her. "Lasa, we're going to go back to Haven." Lasa nodded and walked over to the group. Felix and Dorian had already left.

They made camp that night by the West Road. Lasa was efficient at setting up tents in the dark. She then sat by the fire and watched it crackle. Enasal had been right: she felt more alive at night. She looked up at the sky and smiled.

"The stars are happy."

She didn't know that she would witness their fall.


	4. The Singing

Infiltration is tricky work.

Lasa had been sent with the small group with Dorian to infiltrate the palace while Enasal distracted the Magister. The sewers were dark and small; there was barely enough room to walk on the stone pathways above the sewage. Lasa wrinkled her nose at the smell. She was at the back, to ensure they weren't being followed. Soon enough, they had made it into the kitchens. They were empty. Lasa thought it was unusual, but she reasoned that it was late and everyone had finished for the evening.

They went silently through the halls towards the main hall, slitting the throats of any guards they came across, which, surprisingly, wasn't very many. Lasa wondered if it was a trap. She whispered these thoughts to Dorian when she got the chance. He whispered back, "they're probably guarding Magister Alexius in case something happens. Let's keep moving."

Lasa slipped into the shadows of the main hall. She could see Enasal, along with Solas and Blackwall, and Alexius on his throne with Felix standing by him and guards by every pillar on both sides of the main hall. She looked to Dorian for direction. He directed all of them to take positions silently behind each guard. Lasa had her dagger unsheathed, so there wouldn't be the noise of unsheathing it.

Dorian gave the signal to strike, so Lasa slit the throat of the man in front of her. She felt warm blood run over her fingers as she let the body fall. It was a strange feeling. It both pleased and disgusted Lasa to take a life. She wondered about both feelings.

Lasa stepped up with Dorian as their people positioned themselves in the guard's place. She stood slightly behind him and Enasal. Alexius seemed to have a trick up his sleeve, making Lasa wary. She reached out and gently touched Enasal's sleeve. Enasal turned to look at her.

That was when Alexius cast his spell.

A flash of green, the feeling of being torn apart and forced back together, and Lasa found herself laying in cold water. She panicked and shot up, shouting, then calmed down when she realized that Enasal and Dorian were right beside her.

They were in a flooded cellar. Dorian theorized that they were still in Redcliffe, Enasal looked confused. To Lasa, something felt horribly wrong, like she didn't belong here. She was anxious, and looked to the others for an explanation.

"It's not where, it's when!" Dorian seemed to have figured it out. "He's sent us through time!" Lasa stopped listening to the conversation when she heard footsteps, but the other two didn't seem to notice. She was vaguely aware of them discussing how to get back, but then two guards burst in. Both sides attacked.

Already having been anxious, Lasa's work was sloppy, and blood turned the water red around her feet, both her own and that of the guards. She had a long gash on her arm. It stung a bit, but it wasn't deep. It wasn't bleeding much, either, so she elected to ignore it. Enasal, however, insisted on wrapping it up with some strips of cloth from the guard's uniforms.

They headed out of the cellar. It turns out, they were in the dungeons under the fortress. Red lyrium plagued the place, and Lasa could hear it singing. It made her head hurt and she felt like she was buzzing. She covered her ears as they walked up and down many flights of stairs. What they were looking for, none of them knew. A way to get at Alexius? Someone they knew? A way home? Lasa certainly didn't know. The hum grew louder as they approached a part of the dungeon with cells full of red lyrium and corpses.

Then they found Blackwall.

He was in one of the cells, and his eyes were red, his voice was off, and he felt... nearly dead. Lasa was worried. Enasal explained the situation. They found out that they had been "gone" for over a year. Blackwall thought that he had gone crazy, but he agreed to help. Lasa could still hear the red lyrium sing.

Next they found Solas. There was something... broken... about him. Like he had lost more than he could say. Lasa unlocked the cell door and he nearly fell. He also was infected with the lyrium. However, he also agreed to fight.

Lasa heard a cry of pain. She turned towards the sound, but it was distant, as if she were feeling it instead of really hearing it. Dorian noticed her move, and asked, "what is it?" Lasa replied softly, "I hear her." That was all she said before she started running. The others hurried after her, but she didn't slow for them. She tore down the halls, down so many twists and turns that she would surely be lost when she tried to return, but she didn't care. She could hear the pain, and the lyrium singing, she felt like she was going crazy, like she was going to shatter at any moment, but she just had to get to her.

She burst through the door. The distraction she gave the torturer was enough for Leliana to snap his neck with her legs. It was pretty impressive, actually. The others caught up to her, out of breath. Enasal patted her head, "good job," as if she were an animal, but Lasa didn't mind. She liked being praised. Enasal let Leliana down out of her chains. Leliana had a fury that Lasa had never seen: the cold, heartless fury of someone who has nothing left but anger and vengeance and patience. She told them that Alexius spent all of his time locked in the throne room. He was paranoid. Lasa didn't blame him. She could still hear the lyrium sing.

They headed up to the royal wing. There, they discovered another rift. Without Enasal to close them, they had gotten out of control, and plagued Thedas like locusts.

A shade went right for Enasal, but she wasn't paying attention, because she was busy fighting a wraith. Lasa drew her daggers and went after the shade. The singing had driven her mad, and she slashed it to ribbons. Then she went after the rage demon, alone.

It was so hot, too hot to be near, especially with so little protective armor, but Lasa didn't care. She leapt at it with a snarl, driving her blades into the spots where its eyes should have been. She could feel it's rage, she could relate, but the demon's rage was no match for the whirlwind of insanity that the singing had quickly driven her to. She stabbed it again and again, being thrown away and jumping right back at it, she spent most of that fight above the ground. When it finally died and sank into the ground, she fell to her hands and knees. She looked up to watch Enasal seal the rift, with the bright green bolts flying from her hands to the hole in the world. Then it was gone.

"Da'len," Solas helped her to her feet. She was trembling. "The singing," she whimpered. "I cant take the singing. It's so loud." Solas gave her a pitying look. "Perhaps I can help." He put his hands over her head, and suddenly, the world went quiet. She could still hear the singing, but it was softer now, a gentle hum in the very back of her mind, drowned out by the silence. She could see Solas's lips moving, but no sound permeated the silence. Solas nodded to her and motioned for her to follow, so she did.

She watched as Enasal spoke to Solas, gesturing to her, but she couldn't hear a thing. It was peaceful, almost, but it brought on a sort of madness of its own. However, the sense of separation from the world was much better than the lyrium's song.

They approached the door to the throne room, only to find that it couldn't be opened. Lasa watched Dorian speak, but she couldn't hear him. However, from reading his lips, she got 'servants' and 'has to eat.' She figured that they thought there was another entrance.

Enasal handed Lasa the shard that they had found on the body of one of the guards. She put Lasa's other hand over it, then patted her hands. Lasa realized that she was supposed to hold onto it, and nodded. She tucked it safely away.

They walked up a flight of stairs and down a corridor that lead to a dining hall. Solas tapped her shoulder, and pointed to a ladder that went to an overhang. Lasa climbed the ladder. She had no idea if she was silent or not, but the men eating at the tables made no sign of hearing her, so she assumed that she was quiet enough. She felt the ladder shake a bit as someone climbed up after her. It was Dorian. He stood on the edge of the overhang. He pointed to the men, then mouthed to Lasa 'kill.'

Lasa descended on the head of an unsuspecting mage and killed him with a single blow.

Chaos ensued. The others stormed the room, while Dorian shot down fire from above. Lasa drove her dagger into the chest of a guard, then turned to see Blackwall facing three at a time. She ran to him, then jumped on his shoulders, vaulting herself into one of them, sending her and her enemy tumbling into a table. She regained her senses first and slit his throat.

Blackwall hadn't even faltered. Lasa wasn't surprised, since he was massive and she was not. She stabbed one of his attackers in the back and he took care of the other with a blow to the skull. Blood sprayed all over them both. Lasa turned to see that all the guards were dead. They found another of the mysterious shards. Lasa wondered if they might open the door to the throne room.

This process was repeated until they had found five of the strange shards. There was still no other entrance to the throne room. Lasa held the shards in her hands, looking down at them. They made her skin tingle. She stomped her foot to get the attention of the others, then headed back to the throne room. Lasa knelt down and put the shards carefully in the slots in the door. The door glowed, then it opened. She smiled when Enasal patted her back and nodded to her. They entered the throne room.

The first thing Lasa noticed was Felix. She couldn't hear herself, but she said aloud "he's already dead." Leliana soon had a blade to Felix's neck. Magister Alexius looked distraught. Lasa couldn't tell what they were saying, but all of a sudden, Leliana slit Felix's throat. Lasa could visibly see the moment that Alexius snapped. He began to attack, and he was strong with rage and grief. He was like a storm.

Lasa jumped out of the way as he attacked. She tried to get behind him, but with all the chaos and being unable to hear, it was impossible. So she stood near Enasal and did her best to protect her.

The battle seemed to be going poorly, especially when a rift opened in the throne room. Blackwall was the first to fall. Lasa guarded him as Enasal tried her best to revive him. Leliana fell next. They weren't dead, just too sick, wounded, and exhausted to carry on. Lasa began to feel anxious again. She caught Solas's eye. He shot a ball of magic at her before he was knocked down by a demon.

Lasa could hear again, and the singing was louder than ever. She screamed and flew at the demons. She was nearly a demon herself as she slaughtered them. Enasal managed to get Blackwall and Leliana back on their feet. She went so Solas as Lasa rushed at Alexius. Dorian stepped out of her way.

Lasa was not the one to deal the killing blow. Enasal had that pleasure as she stabbed the Magister in the back. Everything settled, but Lasa could still hear the lyrium sing.

Dorian found the amulet that had been used to send them there. He said it would take nearly an hour to activate. Blackwall, Solas, and Leliana promised to give them time. Lasa didn't like it, and Enasal refused. Lasa put a hand on her shoulder and said, "we have to make sure this never happens." Enasal nodded sadly, and they watched Solas and Blackwall leave the hall and close the doors behind them.

That hour was painful. Between the shrieking and cries outside of the door, the lyrium singing, and the agony of _waiting,_ Lasa felt like she would rather die than this. The door burst open, and Solas's body was thrown on the floor. There was no sign of Blackwall.

Leliana began firing her arrows. The last thing Lasa saw before being pulled through the magic opening back to their time was Leliana's death, and unlike Enasal, she had a very clear view of the demon ripping out her throat.

Lasa stumbled over the ground as they were put back in their own time. She fell to her knees. The singing was gone. She nearly cried with relief. She paid little attention to the scene in front of her as she just stared at the marble floor beneath her. It wasn't glowing red, and it wasn't stained with blood. Now that she thought about it, neither was she.

They had won. The mages were on their side, and they were going to seal the breach.

* * *

This will get more detailed once I get to the destruction of Haven, (next chapter), because I remember everything after that better than everything before. Please bear with me, here, I know this isn't that good, but it will get better soon, I promise.

Also, please give me advice if you have it. I appreciate it.

Hope you enjoy!


	5. Trebuchet

Lasa didn't go to the sealing of the breach, but she was certainly at the celebration. Together, she and Sera convinced the Iron Bull to dance with them. They took turns. Lasa had no memory of dancing, but her body knew how, it just wasn't used to doing it so wildly. She quickly learned. Her laughter was light and happy, first while watching the Bull toss Sera into the air to catch her again, and then when it was her own turn. She laughed when she was spun around, then when she was tossed, then when a drunken Blackwall cut in and demanded a dance. It was a wonderful time. She even convinced Cassandra to dance with her, and though it was stiff, there was a bit of a smile on the seeker's face. She then danced with Enasal, a Dalish dance that Lasa seemed to know. Solas looked on with a smile on his face.

She never expected everything to go wrong again.

Lasa wasn't the first to see the lights coming over the mountains, but she was the first to point it out. She followed Enasal down to the gates, along with Solas, Sera, and the Iron bull. The Commander was there, giving orders to the watchmen. That was when there was someone beating on the gates. "I cant help you if you don't let me in!" The voice was familiar, but Lasa didn't know where she had heard it before. Enasal opened the gates.

A boy with a big hat knocked a body out of his way. "It's the templars! They've come for you. He's angry, angry that you took his mages!" Enasal tried to calm him down. "Who?" The boy pointed. "The Elder One."

Lasa could see him on the hill, and it sent a shiver down her spine. The very look of him made her nervous. She shifted closer to Enasal. The Commander shouted for everyone to man the defenses. Lasa raced after Enasal and the others once the Commander told them to defend the trebuchets. Already they were swarmed by templars, but the worst part was the red templars. Lasa could hear the singing. "No!" She cried out, attacking one of them. They were clumsy, but explosive, so she learned to time her attacks as she defended the trebuchet. It fired. They were told to go to the next one.

The next was even worse. Those manning the machine had been killed, so they had to defend Enasal while she drew it back. Lasa was intense in her defense, no one would hurt Enasal while she was there.

The blast caused an avalanche, burying the army. Cheering rang out; they thought they had won, but the victory was short lived, for just then, a massive dragon swooped down and burned the trebuchet. Lasa barely managed to avoid its flames. She pulled Enasal back towards the gates. The others rushed after them.

The Commander closed the gates behind them. "What is THAT?" "An archdemon" Solas answered. "I don't know how he controls it, but it does his bidding." Lasa heard a scream from one of the cabins. She abandoned the conversation in favour of investigating. Someone was trapped, and the cabin was burning. Lasa kicked in a bit of crumbling wall and rushed into the flames. She found the source of the scream, a woman, and dragged her out. Her lungs burned and her eyes stung, but she was fine otherwise. She helped the woman back to the Chantry while the others went to save more trapped people.

They closed the Chantry doors. Lasa leaned against a pillar to catch her breath. She didn't really pay attention, but she got the gist of the conversation between Enasal and the Commander. They were going to escape and cause another avalanche. Of course, Lasa was going with Enasal. She would not have it any other way. The Iron Bull insisted, but Enasal convinced him to protect the people escaping.

Lasa caught the eye of the boy, whom she had learned was named Cole. He was a spirit, she could tell that much, but she didn't know much else about him. He nodded to her and helped the dying Chancellor out of harm's way.

Lasa and Enasal embarked out alone to man the final trebuchet and to bury Haven.

They raced through Haven, which was in flames, and made it to the final trebuchet. The only problem was, it was surrounded by demons and red templars. Enasal glanced at Lasa, but Lasa was focused. The singing was driving her mad, she wanted it to stop. She gripped her daggers and killed them, one by one. Enasal let her and went to aim the trebuchet. The battle seemed to last forever. They just kept coming. Lasa would kill a red templar, and five would take its place. Her adrenaline rush was being replaced by exhaustion, and just then, a pride demon roared and tried to step on her. She rolled out of the way and kept it distracted. She couldn't kill it, but she could give Enasal the chance she needed.

"I've got it!" Enasal cried, right as the giant archdemon dragon came screeching down towards them. Its thunderous roar shook the ground. Enasal dove out of the way, but Lasa got trapped under its foot, between its massive talons. She let out a strangled cry, then fell silent when she watched the Elder One walk from the dust and smoke. He held an orb in his hand, bringing Enasal to her knees. That orb looked so familiar.

Lasa didn't focus on their conversation, instead she reached for the dagger that was a few feet away. "A little more..." She grunted. She grabbed it right as Enasal fired the trebuchet. Enasal ran. Lasa stabbed the dragon in the ankle, causing it to let out a deafening cry and release her long enough for her to run after Enasal. She fell down into the caves below, right into the snow. Her exhaustion overtook her, and everything went dark.


	6. The Chocolate Voice

Lasa was so cold. The snow around her seemed to seep into her bones, freezing the very essence of life within her. Then she remembered Enasal had fallen too, and she knew she had to get up.

"Enasal," her voice sounded more lost than usual. "Enasal," there was no answer. Lasa sat up, shaking snow out of her hair, and looked around. There, Enasal lay face-up in the snow, her lips blue, shivering madly. She was awake, and her amethyst eyes looked over at Lasa. They had to get out of there.

Lasa managed to get to her feet. She was so cold. She pulled Enasal to her feet. The mark was glowing. She let Enasal lean on her and limped away down the cave. There was no going back. Every step seemed the same, as if they would never get out of there. That is, until they came across demons. Lasa didn't have the strength to fight. She looked at Enasal, who raised her hand. Suddenly, a rift open, sucking the demons in with a loud shrill screech. Enasal slumped, and Lasa struggled to hold her up. "Keep going," her lips were numb and her words were clumsy, but they managed to put one foot in front of the other and made it to the entrance of the cave.

The snow was blinding and the blizzard sucked away any heat that Lasa might have had. They continued on, up the treacherous mountain. Enasal stumbled and dragged Lasa down with her. They huddled together in the snow. All seemed lost.

Then there was a light. It was a torch, and the person holding it was very big. Lasa watched it get closer and tried to cry out, but only managed a strangled moan. However, it was enough, and the torch grew closer. Soon, Lasa was able to see who it was.

A Qunari.

She stood over them, with her face expressionless. Her clothes, which were black on the outside, fluttered and flapped like flags in the wind. The inside was red. Her horns curled down to her neckline, then back up to her ears. Her eyes were piercing green. Her hair was smoothed back, held in place by the horns. She had a staff strapped to her back, but it was too dark to make out what it looked like.

She knelt down and held out her hand to Lasa. Lasa tried to reach for it, but she was too weak. Enasal's eyes had closed. She was no longer trembling. The Qunari frowned a bit, then sighed. Her voice, deep and rich, like chocolate, pierced the howling winds. "Come on, let's go." Lasa was again reminded of chocolate, sweet and bitter and thick and warm all at the same time.

The Qunari hoisted Enasal onto her back, leaning forward so she wouldn't fall. She lifted Lasa to her feet and helped her walk. The process was slow, but they made progress. To where, Lasa didn't know, but she hoped it was somewhere warm. She was so cold.

They came across embers from a fire. It was recent. "Almost there," the Qunari murmured, urging Lasa to continue on. Lasa took a few more steps, then saw flickering firelight around the bend. Hope exploded in her chest and she found the energy to take a few more steps.

"It's them!" It was Cullen's voice. Lasa collapsed then, unable to go any further. She watched from the snow as they took Enasal from the Qunari. Blackwall carried her to the camp. The Qunari followed. The voices were muffled, but Lasa knew that they were thanking the Qunari.

Cullen knelt down next to Lasa, reaching out to her. "You did well, Lasa." He lifted her up in his arms. He was so warm. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to slip into sleep as he carried her back to camp. She was no longer cold.


End file.
